'Tis the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord: Epiphany-link ūnus, Epiphany-link duo, Epiphany-link trēs, Wikipedia-link Epiphany, & Wikipedia-link Wise Men.
Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth Minute Meditations from the Popes:
The Magi followed their star to present their gifts of gold, frankincense, & myrrh to the Child Jesus. Teach me to bring Him the gifts of my heart, hope, & love.Scripture of the Week
Mass Readings—Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
The Book of Isaiah, chapter sixty, verses one thru six;
Psalm Seventy-two, verses one & two, seven & eight, ten & eleven, & twelve & thirteen;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter three, verses two, three(a), five, & six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter two, verses one thru twelve.
Commentary: Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):
Friends, the Gospel for the feast of the Epiphany contains some elemental theological themes. One of them has to do with the relation between Christianity and the nations.Video reflection by Father Greg Friedman, O.F.M.: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
We hear something extraordinary. Magi from the East left their home country in search of a newborn king whose star they had observed at its rising. Why, precisely, would people leave their own country in order to worship a foreign king at his birth?
So this odd story should get our attention. Magi—kings, astrologers—seek out a foreign king who somehow, nevertheless, belongs to them. We’re actually coming close to the heart of the Biblical revelation. Of all the nations of the world, God chose to make of Israel a beacon to the world, so that through Israel all might be gathered.
Yes, a king would be born for the Jews, but he wouldn’t be for the Jews alone. This Messiah would be the King of kings, a light to all the nations. The Messiah, therefore, would represent the overcoming of the nations, the transcendence of the disputes between peoples and cultures that had so tragically marked human history, and the opening up of a new possibility.
Video reflection by Father Claude Burns (uCatholic): Weekend Reflection with Father Pontifex.
Audio reflection by Scott Hahn, Ph.D. (St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology): Breaking the Bread.
Mass Journal: Week Six
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute:
God always wants our future to be bigger than our past. Not equal to our past, but bigger, better, brighter, & more significant. God wants your future & my future, & the future of the Church, to be bigger than the past. It is this bigger future that we need to envision. One of the most incredible abilities God has given the human person is the ability to dream. We are able to look into the future & imagine something better than today, & then return to the present & work to make that richly imagined future a reality.†
Who is doing this for the Church? For many years I have been reflecting on a single verse from proverbs. It never ceases to ignite my passion for the Church. "Where there is no vision the people will perish" (Proverbs, 28:19). I have found this to be true in every area of life. In a country where there is no vision, the people will perish. In a marriage where there is no vision, [the] people will perish. In a business, a school, or a family where there is no vision, the people will perish.
Papal Quote o' the Day
"Once a star led the Magi to set out on their journey to the Lord. And it may be that star has not yet appeared in the sky that you see. Nonetheless, in your soul there is that same interior light that guided the Magi."Little Flower Quote o' the Day
—Pope St. John Paul II the Great (1920-2005, feast day: 22 October)
"Jesus works miracles for His dearest friends only after He has tested their faith. He let Lazarus die, even though Martha and Mary sent word that he was sick. But after the trial, what rewards! Lazarus rises from the dead."Saint Quote o' the Day
—St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church (1873-1897, feast day: 1 October)
"Let no one ever come to you without coming away better & happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness."
—St. Teresa of Calcutta ("Mother Teresa," 1910-1997; feast day: 5 September)
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